New York

A US-based NGO has launched a campaign for designating the Gulf of Mannar, which includes Ram Sethu that is at the centre of the controversy in India over construction of a ship canal project, as a UNESCO World Heritage Natural and Cultural site.

In a statement, the Living Planet Foundation said the site fulfils the criteria and requirements set forth in the World Heritage Convention.

The designation would assist in the protection of the first marine biosphere reserve in all of South and Southeast Asia, it said.

The Foundation claimed that its activists have submitted petitions to the Indian embassy and consulates in the United States.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Foundation said the declaration of Gulf of Mannar as World Heritage Site would enhance India's prestige.

Hindu groups and some political parties have been opposing the Sethusamudram canal project saying it would destroy the Ram Sethu or Adam's Bridge, believed to have been build by Lord Ram.

The project has been caught in a legal tangle with the Supreme Court recently directing the Centre to explore the modalities of choosing an alternative route for its implementation.